In your journey around the world, perhaps you’ve made a number of stops in South America. Was one of those stops Chile and Patagonia? Chile is something of an outlier. For one thing, it’s a long skinny land mass, stretching for almost 2,700 miles (but the width is just 110 miles on average). In fact, it has the longest seacoast of any country in the world.
If anyone asked you on a geography quiz about Chile’s boundaries, you could say it shares borders with Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina to the north and east, and to the west is the Pacific Ocean. Chile controls several islands in the South Pacific (including Easter Island), and it even claims a portion of Antarctica.
I have family in Chile, so before planning another visit I wanted to dig in and learn more about the country. And what I enjoy learning, I enjoy sharing with you all!
More Chile Geography
As you might imagine, this varied topography offers a range of climates.
Let’s make note of a couple of unique geographic features.
The Andes mountains stretch for 4,300 miles along the west coast of South America; it is the world’s longest mountain range, and the highest outside of Asia.
The Andes extend throughout South America, but the Southern Andes is located in Argentina and Chile. The Andes were settled by indigenous tribes more than 10,000 years ago.
In contrast, the Atacama Desert of northern Chile is one of the driest places in the world!
South-central Chile is known for its forests and lakes, and in the southern part of the country we find fjords and wild conditions that are cold, wet, and windy.
With this unusual mix of geographical features, you can see why Chile is rich in natural resources. And over the centuries, foreigners as well as South American countries fought to capitalize on this natural bounty.
For many years mining was the foundation of the country’s economy. It is the world’s greatest producer of copper, and it also provides iron, lithium, and iodine. The country also has large reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas.
A Brief History of Chile
Imagine how it all began. Human civilizations in Chile date back 13,000 years. The fertile valleys and coastal areas attracted indigenous tribes. As a matter of fact, the oldest mummy is not from Egypt; it is credited to the Chinchorro people in 5050B.C.
By 500 C.E., many indigenous groups populated the area. These natives to Chile were hunters, and they practiced slash-and-burn agriculture. In the late 1400s the Incas tried unsuccessfully to extend their domain into northern Chile.
The first European to arrive in Chile in 1520 is reportedly Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The Spaniards conquistadors were the next group of foreigners to recognize the bounty of resources Chile had to offer (think: GOLD).
By 1540, Spaniard Pedro de Valdivia carried out a conquest of Chilean land, founding the city of Santiago. De Valdivia claimed Chile for Spain as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Indigneous people were used as slaves to work the mines and as labor for the Spanish rulers.
The native people resisted. The Mapuche people fought back, leading insurrections throughout the late 1500s and into the 17th century. When slavery was abolished in 1683, this eased tensions between the Mapuche and the colonists. Trading increased, the population grew, and there was more mixed blood between the settlers and the indigenous people.
By the 19th century, the people of Chile had a strong drive for independence from Spain. In 1810 Chile was declared an autonomous republic within the Spanish monarchy. But conflict continued between Spain and the Chilean nationalists.
A Century of Change For Chile
In 1818 Chilean patriot José de San Martín (who helped lead Argentina’s war of independence) led a revolt that broke Chile free from Spain: it was declared an independent republic.
But Chilean society by then was controlled by wealthy families and the Catholic Church. The indigenous people were still treated poorly. There was also increasing conflict with neighboring countries like Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia, who were also celebrating their independence from colonial rule.
By the late 1800s, a stronger Chilean government exerted its power throughout the country. The country expanded and the economy grew. In cooperation with Argentina, Chile claimed the Strait of Magellan. Chile expanded it borders northward and took a large chunk of land from Bolivia. Bolivia and Peru fought against Chile’s encroaching power.
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In the 1920s, Chilean society had evolved so that there was more of a middle and working class structure. These new classes voted in a reformist president, Arturo Alessandri Palma (who admired Mussolini, by the way). This opened the door for Marxist followers to establish their presence in Chile.
A period of political instability followed. The Socialist Salvador Allende built his coalition during the 1950 and 60s, fueling Chile’s division into left and right-wing political parties.
In 1970 Allende was elected president. He nationalized the country’s industries and began radical agrarian reform. While Allende’s socialist reforms changed the social structure, the country’s economy tanked. This was also because the price of copper fell throughout the world, inflation increased, and a truckers strike brought the economy to a halt.
Military dictator Augusto Pinochet took advantage of the situation to conduct a coup in 1973, leading to 15 years of martial law (including the brutal secret police force, the DINA). Chile experienced some economic improvements under Pinochet. Inflation decreased, as did unemployment. But Chileans didn’t favor military rule, and they voted Pinochet out in 1989.
Chile: More on Government and Economy Today
During the 1990s Chile enjoyed rapid economic growth, which continued in the early years of the 21st century. Today poverty in Chile is declining rapidly and the country is much more prosperous. Chile is also a stable democracy.
Chile is considered to be a republic. It is guided by the Constitution of 1980. The President of Chile is Gabriel Boric, who took office in 2022. The President is elected to a 4-year term. He is both the Chief of State and Head of Government, and holds the executive power.
Boric was the youngest president ever to be elected (35) and he represents the leftist party.
The year he was elected Chile revised its Constitution to replace the country’s military dictatorship era constitution. Many Chileans believed the old Constitution was unfair, favoring private property rights (including rights to natural resources) and it didn’t offer enough welfare provisions.
Voters are still divided about how to make the Constitution more fair. A progressive draft was rejected last December.
Today the economy of Chile is growing steadily, and the population has reached 19 million.
Part of Chile’s economic progress today is because of its ability to leverage its excellent agriculture with manufacturing and service industries.
As mentioned, Chile’s natural resources range from mining to hydroelectric power, forestry, fishing, and agriculture. Manufacturing also makes up a considerable percentage of the economy (appliance, food, clothing, chemical products). Larger industry includes iron and steel production and petroleum.
Chile actively trades goods (mining and agriculture) with the United States, the European Union, and Asian countries (as well as Brazil and Argentina).
Chilean farms still feed the country, and there is abundant export of crops as well. Farmers grow avocado, plums, wheat, and grapes, and today Chile is the world’s fifth exporter of wine.
And don’t forget the fishing industry! The waters around Chile are home to anchovy, sardine, and mackerel (at least they were before over fishing depleted supplies).
As Chile modernized, other industries emerged, including chemical production and paper. Manufacturing and trade are important assets to the country today.
Tourism is also one it most lucrative industries.
It goes to figure that largely because of how the country has maintained and developed their resources, Chile is one of the most prosperous countries in South America. It has greater political stability, relatively low poverty, less government corruption, and overall higher quality of life than many of its neighbors.
The People and Culture of Chile
The Chilean population has a mix of Indigenous and European bloodlines. Chileans boast a strong national pride. They are known to be tolerant towards the customs of minorities (the Araucaniana and Aymara people, for example). There is a blend of Christian and non-Christian religious practices.
Many famous artists and writers hail from Chile. Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral are two Nobel Prize winning authors you might have heard of, and of course Isabel Allende is one of the most famous writers in South America.
Santiago is the hub of the arts in Chile. The Chilean National Symphony Orchestra is known throughout the world, and there is also a Municipal Ballet and Opera. Museums in Chile display pre-Columbian art, natural history, and Chilean national history. There is also the Museum of Fine Arts and Contemporary Arts.
A particular style of folk music, the tonada, is also native to Chile.
If you are planning a trip to Chile, you might want to time it to coincide with one of the many festivals celebrated throughout the year.
Here are just a few of the many festivals.
Fiestas Patrias
Fiestas Patrias is the National Holiday of Chile, celebrated on Sep. 18 and 19. It is a commemoration of the First Government Assembly which marked Chilean Independence on Sep. 18, 1810.
La Tirana
La Tirana is a widely celebrated festival, attracting many tourists and pilgrims from across the country.
It takes place in the northern town of La Tirana in Tarapacá Region on June 16.
The festival is a mix of the Catholic and indigenous religions in paying tribute to the Virgen del Carmen through carnivals and dancing.
Grape Harvest Festival
Chilean wine is world-famous, and so the Grape Harvest Festival, or Vendimias, is an important tradition.
The festivals take place during the final week of March through May when the grapes are ripe after summer. Rural towns across central Chile celebrate the festival with a religious ceremony to bless the first batch of grapes. A Grape Queen is then chosen, who is weighed against a bottle of wine, and teams of locals engage in a grape-stomping competition to see who can pulp the most juice out of 20 kg of fruit in 10 minutes, and a fair amount of wine is also consumed to celebrate Chile’s bountiful production.
Tapati
Tapati is a celebration of ancient culture and tradition on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), held in February.
The local people paint their bodies with mythical symbols and images and gather to recount the legends of their ancestors. There are also many competitions such as swimming and canoeing which test physical skill, the most daring of which is Haka Pei, where contestants toboggan down the steep mountain on banana tree trunks.
With these festivals in mind, let’s check out a few more stops in Chile.
A Visit to Santiago, Chile
On our first stop in Chile, we visit the capital, Santiago. Of the country’s 19,650,000 inhabitants, about 7 million live in Santiago.
Santiago was the first Spanish settlement in Chile. Before the Spaniards arrived in the Santiago area, Picunche Indians made their home in the region.
Santiago was founded as Santiago del Nuevo Extremo (“Santiago of the New Frontier”) by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia in 1541, on Huelén Hill (later renamed Saint Lucia Hill or Cerro Santa Lucía).
Valdivia chose the location of Santiago because of its moderate climate and the ease with which it could be defended—Mapocho River then split into two branches around Huelen hill, and rejoined further downstream, forming an island.
The city was destroyed by the Pincunche Indians in 1541, but the Spaniards quickly re-built it.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the population of Santiago increased, partly due to immigration from other parts of the region, as well as the spread of Catholicism and construction of churches. Many of these churches have since been demolished or damaged by many earthquakes over the years.
The city was slightly damaged during the War of Independence (1810–18), specifically during the Battle of Maipú, which was fought southwest of the city.
After Chile’s independence in 1818, Bernardo O’Higgins became the first Chilean head of state (“supreme director”) and declared Santiago as Chile’s federal capital. The first buildings were erected with the help of the native Picunche Indians.
During the early nineteenth century, Santiago remained a small town with few buildings other than Palacio de La Moneda, the building used as the Chilean mint during the Spanish period, and a few churches and other civic buildings.
In the 1880s, the nitrate fertilizer industry in northern Chile brought prosperity to the country, and promoted the capital city’s development.
Important landmarks were built in 1910, during the Centennial celebrations of independence from Spain, such as the National Library, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Mapocho Train Station.
In the 1900s, the wealth from the nearby mines, including salt mines and nitrate mines, brought Santiago many new advances and prosperity. The Museum of Fine Arts was opened (1910) and, in 1913, the construction of the National Library began, the city’s first newspapers and electric trams began servicing the city.
Santiago Becomes A Modern City
Santiago began its transformation into a modern city in the 1930s, with the building of the neighborhood known as Barrio Cívico, which surrounds El Palacio de La Moneda. The city also grew in population due to migration from the northern and southern areas of the country.
Growth continued in the 1950s and 1960s, but radical political changes occurred in the 1970s starting with Allende’s socialist government, and later by Pinochet.
In 1985, a major earthquake destroyed several historically significant buildings in the downtown area.
Today Santiago is among the largest and most important financial centers in Latin America. Many multinational companies make their headquarters in Santiago.
There are three universities in Santiago.
The city is the center of Chile’s arts and entertainment culture, and is home to the National Historical Museum as well as two symphonic orchestras, the National Library, and the theatre district.
Santiago is also the center of Chile’s railroad system, and there is a state-of-the-art subway system as well.
Santiago: Must See Sites
Some of the “must see” sites in Santiago include Parque Bicentario, La Vega Central (main market), Cerro San Cristóbal, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and La Chascona (poet Pablo Neruda’s special hideaway).
Visitors to Chile tend to start in Santiago and explore the region via day trips. But many visitors flock to the wilds of Chile: Patagonia. This gorgeous terrain remains as it has throughout time—undeveloped and (mostly) untouched.
From City to Wilderness: Stopover in Patagonia
Patagonia has been described as barren yet beautiful, with dramatic and varied landscape. It is one of the most picturesque, remote, and impressive natural settings on earth.
Patagonia spans a range of terrains: the eastern side is comprised of windswept pampas, glacial valleys, desert, and grassland.
The majestic snow-capped Andes Mountains create the western border, and the Strait of Magellan lies to the south. Tierra del Fuego is the region that divides Argentina and Chile.
World Atlas tells us that Patagonia has the unique distinction of being one of the few places on Earth surrounded by three oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern).
Patagonia was a volcanic area in pre-historic times. Thirteen plains (called steppes) make up much of the landmass. These steppes are still rugged and bare today. Erosion (created by changes in the earth’s surface and melting of ice mass) has carved out plains and hills throughout Patagonia, forming lakes and ponds.
The Chilean side of Patagonia is more lush and green, since it receives greater rainfall. Ocean conditions off the coast created ice fields and glaciers. In fact, this is the largest ice field in the Southern Hemisphere (excluding Antarctica).
Dinosaurs roamed Patagonia!
Millions of years ago, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, a huge herbivore, was one of the largest animals on earth.
The Animals of Patagonia
Visitors come to Patagonia each year to experience the raw beauty and sweeping views of the country, and part of their experience is viewing the wide variety of animals and plants that inhabit its vast land mass.
Many species of birds can be found, including herons, eagles, the ñandú (now almost extinct) and the Magellanic penguin.
In the mammal category, Patagonia is home to several species of bats, as well as armadillos, pumas, foxes, ferrets, and many rodents.
In the creepy-and-crawly category, poisonous snakes can be found, as well as spiders, lizards, and tortoises.
The waters off the Patagonian coast are home to several types of whales, sea lions, and elephant whales.
The penguins of Patagonia deserve a special mention.
There are five main species of penguins that migrate through the area, depending on the season:
- Magellanic penguin (most plentiful—1.7 million pairs per year, which is almost equal to the number of humans in Patagonia)
- King penguin
- Humboldt penguin
- Gentoo penguin
- Southern Rockhopper penguin
Every spring the Magellanic penguins travel to Patagonia from Brazil. They return every year to nest, which is burrowed by the males. Females find their males by following his unique call.
Fascinating, right?
Patagonians Today
Technically, Patagonia “belongs” to two countries. The vast majority of the region, 90%, is located in Argentina. Chile claims 10% of the region.
Both countries have divided their Patagonian slice of the pie into regions, provinces, and communes.
About 2 million people live in Patagonia (combined Argentinian and Chilean populations).
Spanish is the official language, but because of their mixed blood and unique heritage, many Patagonians consider themselves Latinos. The currency is the Argentinean Peso and the Chilean Peso.
You might be wondering about the economy of Patagonia, and how its inhabitants survive in modern times.
Today there are three main aspects to Patagonia’s economy. It is rich in mineral deposits, hydroelectric power (from all those rushing rivers), and tourism.
Popular Sites in Patagonia
There are many!
Most notable are Perito Moreno glacier, the Valdés Peninsula, and the Argentine Lake District.
Whale watching is a major event when you visit Península Valdés. This is a protected area in northeastern Argentina, where, in June, southern right whales come to breed in the cold water. The peninsula is also home to 180 species of seabirds as well as seals and sea lions. The central town nearby is Puerto Madryn.
Another noteworthy site is visiting Punta Tombo, the largest Magellanic colony in South America!
Birdwatchers can also view giant petrals, black oystercatchers, and kelp gulls, to name a few.
Torres del Paine is the main national park in Patagonia, and it is where backpackers and hikers often start their trips. The park encompasses glaciers, forests, lagoons, and rivers. Trips begin in the Puerto Natales area with a connection to Punta Arenas.
A few additional natural “must-sees” are El Chaltén and Perito Moreno Glacier. El Chaltén is the trekking capital of Patagonia.
Final Thoughts On Chile and Patagonia
Santiago…. Patagonia… and did I mention that Chile has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
These include the Churches of Chiloé; the vibrant Historic Quarter of Valparaíso; the haunting Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works; the enigmatic Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island; and the captivating Sewell Mining Town.
Independence from colonization is a central theme in South and Latin American history. It’s interesting to observe the differences in how countries and cultures handle these challenges. In Chile’s case, the country has managed to keep pace with the times and protect its resources.
Have you been to Chile and/or Patagonia? Share your thoughts in the comments below so others can benefit from your experiences.
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